The most widespread nutritional deficiency in the country today is iron, particularly in pregnant women and children in different socio-economic strata. A variety of metabolic disturbances and physiological and developmental changes appear to be concommitants of iron deficiency during pregnancy, including low birth weights, increased still-birth rate, elevation of toxemia, and possible increases in fetal anomalies. Some studies suggest that iron deficient children have lower I.Q.'s and poorer academic performance. In addition they are described as inattentive, hyperactive, perseverative, and poorly integrated, all behaviors which would retard their learning and performance. Recent evidence for central nervous system disorders from iron deficiency which involve the serotonin pathway and by implication mental function, led to the enclosed program project. This is a collaboration between the departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Pediatrics, Laboratory Medicine, Medicine, Biostatistics and the Child Development & Mental Retardation Center. Th metabolic and behavior concommitants of iron deficiency will be examined both longitudinally in the infants of iron deficient women, and cross-sectionally in iron deficient children. In addition an animal model will be utilized in parallel studies. Eight senior investigators are submitting four related research projects to be performed collaboratively.